It takes a lot of hours, a lot of patience and lots and lots of matchsticks.

KATH SKELLON talks to a father and son about their matchstick models.

ROLAND and Colin Markey’s passion for matchstick model making began more than 20 years ago.

After being given their first model making kit as a Christmas present, the father and son went on to create more than 40 models that can be regularly seen at shows and exhibitions.

And self-taught Roland, 72, and Colin, 43, have dedicated hundreds of hours over the years to assembling their intricate creations at Roland’s home in Monmouth.

Roland, a retired agricultural engineer, said: “We were given a matchstick model making kit one Christmas. Once we built our first one we bought more kits and among our first scale models was a train engine and a gypsy caravan.

“We used kits for the first few years and then started scaling our own plans and doing our own drawings and dimensions.”

They buy their matches in bags of 10,000 and use PVA glue to hold the pieces together before using Danish oil to protect them.

“We decided fairly early on to make a complete railway model and we now have a six foot by two train lay-out complete with carriages, a goods and signal yard, wagons and a tank engine.

“Each year we keep adding another piece to it.”

The first model they completed was a 15 inch-long showman’s traction engine using 4,000 to 5,000 matchsticks.

“It takes a lot of hours, perhaps a few hundred but you don’t tend to notice how much times goes by while working on the models,” he said.

The duo has made numerous models that include a fire engine, a Dennis Lorry, a two-foot high windmill and Stephenson’s Rocket.

Colin, who is a sheet metal worker, has built a replica of the famous Mary Rose ship complete with mast which measures around 12 inches long by 12 inches.

Roland added: “We have made a two-storey Old Fisherman’s Cottage which required 11,000 matchsticks and is one foot high.

“It is built on a 20 inch-square base and even has furniture inside.

“It took us two or three winters to complete six years ago.

“We tend to design our own models now by taking photos and then work on the drawings to work out the scale.

“A lot of the kits are basic and we are trying to keep everything in the old fashioned style.”

The Markeys are members of the Wye Valley Model Club and were approached to exhibit their models at a Border Counties show in the Forest of Dean.

Roland said: “We took six models with us and had such a positive response that we now visit several vintage and agricultural shows a year, most recently at Abergavenny Toy and Train Collectors Fair. Later this year we’ll be at the Usk Show in the steam engine section.

“It’s something that is a bit unusual and always draws people’s attention.

“We often get asked by adults and children about our models and their history so we add a bit of information about each model on a card.

“People are fascinated, especially children, to see what thing used to look like so it’s fantastic to see the level of interest in what we do as a hobby.

“We are frequently asked how long they take to make and how many matchsticks we use.

“One of our displays is a 1914-1918 Dennis Lorry which took 3,270 matchsticks to create.

“We can’t physically count how many matchsticks we use but we have a rough idea as we weigh the finished model and can work it out that way.”

The Markeys say one of their most challenging builds was the Stephenson’s Rocket which is 15inches high on a 100millimetre track and has a water tender behind it.

Roland said: “It can get quite fiddly with all the bits and using a scalpel to dab on the glue.

“The fiddly bits are making railings where you have to join single matches together.”

Roland Markey admitted the hobby is both absorbing and relaxing.

He said: “We tend to see something, take a photo and work from that. I am looking at having a go at making a tractor.”

He added that it is a skill that requires a lot of preparation and patience but said you can only do so much at a time.

He said: “It’s a great hobby for both adults and children. The best way to start is to get a little box, buy some matchsticks and have a go at making a trinket box.

“You can get a kit from any good model shop but look for something that is really simple to start with - something that looks reasonably simple.

“All you need is cardboard, matchsticks and some glue.

“Once you’ve made a few of the matchstick model kits you find that everyone is doing the same thing so it’s more interesting to design your own.

“You can then show a lot of things that would not always be seen.”